School comes together for Walkathon in aid of Blind Veterans UK
We are enormously proud of our charitable work at Rydal Penrhos. This is something that forms a core component behind our ethos and is a collective effort from pupils, parents, staff, alumni and almost everyone associated with the school.
The latest initiative involving the entire school community that took place on Wednesday 6 July and involved staff and pupils participating in a special Walkathon to raise much-needed funds for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are tens of thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
More than 120 pupils and staff from all areas of Rydal Penrhos trekked the 5.9-mile stretch along the shoreline from Colwyn Bay’s Victoria Pier to the heart of Llandudno and back to raise money for a very worthy cause.
Senior School pupils were joined at various stages of the walk by those from the Prep School, who met blind veteran and Llandudno town crier Billy Baxter recently and were keen not to miss out on this adventure.
Rydal Penrhos has raised almost £2,500 from the Walkathon, with all proceeds going towards the Blind Veterans UK Centre for Wellbeing situated in Llandudno.
Victoria Beech from the Blind Veterans UK Community Partnerships Team, said: “The team at Rydal Penrhos are looking to make the walkathon an annual event to support our Llandudno Centre.
“In return, we hope to give pupils the opportunity to learn more about the charity, the impact of sight loss, and to meet some of the veterans and hear their stories too.
“Their choice of a walkathon is brilliant as it enables the younger children to take part in smaller sections of the route, meaning that every member of the school community can be involved in supporting our blind veterans.
“Partnerships with organisations such as Rydal Penrhos give us an opportunity to remove the barriers often placed by sight loss. Giving children the opportunity to learn about the impact of sight loss at an early age removes the apprehension many feel in later life when interacting with people with disabilities.”
Anyone wishing to donate to the Rydal Penrhos Walkathon for Blind Veterans UK can do so here.